Crossroads in my life...need help from current nursing students and nurses!!!!

[JLB1215]

Good morning everyone! I am new to these boards and I am seeking some much needed advice from current nursing students / Nurses. I am 23 years old and have been in college for 4 years now. I always knew I wanted to be a nurse, but given my situation, it has been taking me such a long time to get to my goal. I have been working full time for as long as I can remember and currently am working full time in healthcare as a receptionist and going to school. As I said, I have been in school for 4 years and don't even have a 2 year degree or all the pre requisites to get into Nursing as of yet (I have about 5 left). I have been going really slowly to make sure I get decent grades as I am working full time. On top of all of this, I am engaged and living with my fiancé where I have been contributing to half of the rent money. We are getting married next May, and although my parents have not helped pay for school, they are helping pay for 80% of our wedding (thank god). I have come to a point in my life where I feel like I need to begin to invest more in my future and not rent money or getting married. Although those things are equally important, it kills me that it is / has taken me so long to get to where I am and looks as though it will take me even LONGER to get to where I want to be in life. I need to make a decision but do not know what I should do. I feel as though I need to cut back on working and focus more on school and taking more classes so I can get my degree sooner. I recently spoke to my boss to see if he would put me on part time at work so the other days of the week I can focus on school, and unfortunately he said no--my position is a full time one. Now I am at a crossroads. Should I quit my job in a great healthcare system and work part time and focus more on school? Even though I am getting married next year? OR should I just keep going at the pace I am going and finish my bachelors in nursing in 6 years? My fiancé is doing well at his job but I am not sure if it is well enough to pay our entire rent, and contribute to the little things in our wedding costs as well. What would you do? Please help.....

[Jules A, MSN]

How many classes are you taking a semester? It sounds like a very slow pace from my experience although I agree it is very important to get good grades in your pre-reqs. Could you step it up a bit? I use to do 1 hard pre-req like the A&Ps along with two fluffy courses like Art or English so I could get good grades but still work full time.

I have never been a fan of quitting work to "focus on school". To me being able to pay my bills without incurring debt and have a financial stake in the family affairs is too important. Can you get your ADN or LPN first? That is how I did it so I was able to work as a nurse with a flexible schedule as I moved forward with my education. Good luck!

[JLB1215]

I agree.. I am not a fan of quitting but I think working part time would be best? I already took all

of the easier art and English classes. The only ones left I need to take are the more intense ones. As of now I take 1-2 classes a semester and I take 1 over the summer if I can. My boss also prefers me not to take any classes on Saturdays.

[Jules A, MSN]

Should I quit my job in a great healthcare system and work part time and focus more on school? Even though I am getting married next year? OR should I just keep going at the pace I am going and finish my bachelors in nursing in 6 years?

I am not a fan of quitting but I think working part time would be best

If you already have your mind made up may want to repost asking for tips on quitting your job to work part-time while in school. I must have misunderstood your intention.

The BSN program includes pre-reqs and the average for community colleges is around 24 credits so if you are taking 1 or 2 a semester and one in the summer I'm not clear on how it could have taken 4 years and still have 10-15 credits left to finish. Really it shouldn't take much more than a year at that pace and uless you work Saturdays I dont' get why your boss would have anything to say about you taking classes.

[JLB1215]

I started off as a business major and switched into the liberal arts and science program. I do work some saturdays but only "as needed" which is not much at all. Since I was working full time all the while, I didnt do so well on my A&P's and have to retake the first one inorder to get into the program I am looking at at another school. This school doesnt take all of the credits I have now even a few as a liberal arts and science major from my current school. Are you currently an RN? I guess what I am really asking is the path that current nurses have taken to get to where they are. This might give me some insight on what to do. I could try for an LPN first but would have to do some research.

[Jules A, MSN]

Yes I am a RN with my bachelor's now but I started as a LPN which is a year long program after pre-reqs. In my area you can make around $45,000 a year as a LPN mostly in psychiatry or long term care. Since you started in another area I'd take some of the pressure off yourself in that you actually haven't been pursuing nursing for 4 years. Maybe your current job just isn't a good fit any more? I don't know but think long and hard about the pressure going to part-time will place on your relationship with your fiance because money issues are the worst for couples. Good luck.

[JLB1215]

Thats very true. Thank you so much for all of your advice. Do you mind me asking you where you got your bachlors ? I am totally thinking about going for my LPN. I think it would be good experience also. Its 1 year at Suffolk Community College Boces but thats full time 830 - 230 M-F. She said they offer a part time program but eventually it goes on the full time schedule during the day. The thing is, once I am an LPN I would need to find programs that would take SCCC's program in full which I am not sure how many do that. I would still have undergrad credits under my belt though which will help in the future....